Drixana
by Raivyn
Summary: Enter Number XIV: Drixana. As she begins to learn about life in the Organization, Drixana finds that she is there for a more important reason than she had first suspected. Can she succeed where others have failed?
1. Prologue

_She knew right away that something was wrong. Flashes of memories. Sights and sounds and feelings rushed through her and left her torn between unscathed and ripped to shreds. Everything hurt and yet she was numb. Everything was tangled and jumbled and confused. She could sense bits and pieces of her former life through an oppressive darkness. For she knew it was her former life. She could tell that nothing would ever be the same._


	2. The Decision

_Author's Note: So, yeah. I'm finally writing in my oc. Her name isn't actually spelled like mine, but it's the same name. Mine just looks really wierd anagramed that way. Anyway, I hope you like it. First chapter's rather short but they should get longer as I go along and bring in all the characters. Please forgive the utterly uncreative title. I can think of nothing else, however, as I don't know where the plot will be going._

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH._

**Drixana**

Adrian sat up abruptly. She was lying in the grass in the middle of a small clearing. She blinked. She could sense that along with her life and all she knew, she had changed. Physically. Nothing big. If two people compared her with her former self, they would find little similarities. If she were to look into a mirror though, she'd be hard-pressed to recognize herself.

Formerly she had been rather tall. She could tell that she still was. She was slimmer now. She liked that. Her hair was different too. It used to be long and blonde. Now it was shorter and black except for the bangs which were silver. Her eyes were the same bright blue.

As she stood, she sensed someone standing behind her. She turned to see a man in a hooded black coat. He had a looming presence. For some reason, even though she knew he was a frightening person, she wasn't afraid of him at all.

Something was wrong.

The man pulled down his hood to look down at her. He had silvery hair and rather dark skin. His yellow-orange eyes stood out oddly against that skin. He smiled an odd smile. It wasn't what a smile should look like. He then spoke. "You are different. There is no way you can be accepted here. You are nothing, worthless, less than scum."

He paused as though giving her a chance to soak up this disheartening news. "I can give you purpose."

It was enough for her. A desire beyond any she had ever had swelled within her. She needed a reason for existence if only to prove she was still there. She had an odd feeling she wasn't really. Not quite.

"I will join you."

The man's smile widened ever so slightly. "I am Xemnas, Superior in Organization XIII. Follow me, Drixana."

He raised his hand and a swirling portal of blackness appeared in front of him. He stepped through and Adrian, now Drixana, followed.


	3. A Quiet Dinner?

_Author's Note: Haha, this has taken forever to put up... I'm so lazy. Anywho, I can't write Xigbar. Or Xaldin. I'm giving it a shot anyways. Hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH. (I know, it's sad isn't it?) _

**Drixana**

They emerged in a rather office-like room. Xemnas walked around to the other side of a desk and sat down. He indicated that Drixana should do the same. She did. "I have already told you that I am the leader of Organization XIII. The Organization is a group of Nobodies searching for Kingdom Hearts."

Drixana was confused. Clearly it showed. Xemnas continued, "In the heart of every human, there is darkness. When that darkness consumes the heart, a creature called a heartless is born. Sometimes, however, when a particularly strong-hearted person succumbs to the darkness, the empty shell they left behind becomes a Nobody. That, Drixana, is what you are. We all are. We search for Kingdom Hearts so that we might be whole again."

This made a little sense, but she was still not grasping everything. "What does that mean for me?"

"You no longer have a heart. No-" He shook his head, for Drixana had began feeling for a pulse in her wrist. "You still have the heart that circulates blood through your body, but you can no longer feel emotions. There are arguments and exceptions but for your purposes at this moment, know that you are totally numb."

This was a hard thing to comprehend. Subconsciously, Drixana stored this information in the back of her mind to cope with later when it was understandable. "Why would the Organization want me?"

"As I said, we seek Kingdom Hearts. For now, you will train to gain physical and magical prowess. I shall assign you a mentor later. I will send you to your room where you will find all you need at the moment. You will find your official Organization gear there. Change into it. You can adjust your quarters to your liking in the next few days. Within a half hour, one of the Organization will meet you to show you around."

Drixana nodded and stood. Xemnas held out a hand and another swirling portal of darkness appeared. She stepped through it. The room she emerged in was quite simple. It wasn't very large but definitely not too small. Drixana stood for a few minutes and simply took it in. A desk with a lamp sat next to the full-size bed. On the bed was a set of clothes. Drixana changed into them. It was an interesting feel. She liked it. She plopped down on to the foot of the bed and waited.

Roxas rapped on the door at the end of the hallway with 'XIV' printed on the top. He was curious as to what this newest member of the Organization was like. Xemnas hadn't told him. All the Key of Destiny knew was that there was a new member and the task had fallen on his shoulders to show the person where everything was.

The door opened and Drixana stepped out. She gave a small nod of greeting which Roxas returned. He was a little surprised that XIV was only barely older than him. Also that she was a she.

"I'm Roxas, Number XIII. I'll just be showing you around today. You'll get your mentor later and they'll take you through some of the finer points. Other things you'll have to learn on your own."

"I'm Drixana. So, where do we begin?"

He considered for a moment. "Well, right now we're in the hallway with everyone's rooms. Except Xemnas, of course. You'll get to know everyone eventually. I guess I'll show you the training grounds next."

Roxas held out a gloved hand and another swirling portal of darkness appeared in front of him. Both walked through. The first thing that struck Drixana about the grounds was how very different the sky was here. It was swirling with countless shades of dark blues and purples with black being the predominant color. She liked it. She then redirected her attention to the place they were standing. Targets were set up across from where they stood. There was evidence of battles everywhere. Apparently, the place was well-used.

The tour continued for a while. Roxas told Drixana about general life at Castle Oblivion. In the early evening, Roxas summoned a portal that led to the kitchen. There was a long table with benches on either side of it and a tall man with dreadlocks was setting dishes on the table. Nine others were sitting around the table. Roxas introduced them as Xigbar, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saïx, Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene. Xaldin was the one who had brought out the food and Xemnas, of course, was also there.

"There's also Axel and Demyx, but they're our on missions," Roxas explained.

Drixana nodded as she sat down. Everyone glanced at her but no one said anything. After Xaldin was seated, everyone began eating silently. Drixana glanced around, feeling a hint of awkwardness. She continued spearing roasted vegetables onto a fork and

After about five minutes of complete silence had passed, Xigbar broke the silence. "Damn it's quiet with the arsonist and his hyrdomanic companion missing."

Larxene sneered. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

The Free Shooter shrugged, "Just a little boring, ya know little lady?"

Everybody else on Larxene's bench stumbled a bit as she pushed it back and jumped up, eyes glinting with savage anger. "What did you call me?"

"Would you have preferred to be a little man?"

The Savage Nymph had summoned her weapons. "I'll show you little-"

"Shut up!" roared Xaldin.

Larxene shot another venomous glance at Xigbar before returning to her meal and resuming eating as though absolutely nothing had happened. Drixana could hardly believe how maliciously Larxene had reacted. Especially for someone who couldn't feel. Casting another confused glance around the table, XIV continued eating.


	4. Arsonist and His Hydromanic Companion

_Author's Note: Yeah... It's been a while since I put anything up 'cause I'm a lazy bum who hasn't had much of a chance to write anyways. Anywho, if you have any thoughts at all on my writing, please comment. Um, yeah. I still haven't gotten any of the character's personalities down but practice makes perfect, eh? _

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH2 or a giant purple hippo, but that's rather beside the point._

**Drixana**

The rest of the meal passed in almost calm silence. Larxene was first to leave the table. She stalked off, casting a last angry glance at Xigbar before leaving. The Free Shooter shook his head. "Women."

Drixana raised her eyebrows at him but he seemed to have forgotten that another female had joined them at the dinner table. Still thinking it was all a bit awkward, Drixana finished her meal and stood up. For a moment, she considered thanking Xaldin for the meal, but decided against it.

XIV started up the hallway she vaguely remembered coming down on the way to dinner. She walked for a long time, looking for a familiar door or turn. Eventually, Drixana realized that she hadn't walked all the way down from her room. She had absolutely no idea where to go.

"Damn."

She wasn't sure how long she had wandered around half-hoping to stumble across her room or another member or a signpost when a voice made her jump. "You gotta admit it was funny."

She spun around to see a man with spiky red hair glaring at one with an odd blonde hairstyle. The redhead was dripping wet from head to toe and the blonde looked rather amused. When he was about to reply to the blonde's words, he noticed Drixana. He tilted his dripping head a little to the left, "Number XIV I presume?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. Drixana."

"VIII. Axel. Got it memorized?" He tapped the side of his head with a forefinger and Drixana noticed that his hair was steaming. Glancing at his jacket she noticed that it too was steaming and drying much more quickly than seemed natural. Axel must have noticed her odd expression for he said, "I use fire."

Drixana nodded, not entirely sure what he meant. The other man then flashed a smile at her. "I'm Demyx."

It suddenly clicked in Drixana's head that this pair must be the 'arsonist and his hydromanic companion' that Xigbar had mentioned over dinner. They definitely struck her as more lively than anyone at the table that evening but she had only known the Organization members for an hour at most.

"So, Drixana, where are you headed? I can't help but notice you look rather lost." Axel said.

"I was headed up to my room but I can't remember where it is. Well, I suppose it's not so much a case of my not remembering as my not knowing where it is. Roxas just used portals to take me everywhere."

"Well," Axel shrugged, "Roxas is lazy sometimes."

"Axel, that's how you showed me around when I first joined, remember?"

The redhead looked unconcerned. "That's no excuse for Roxas now is it?"

Demyx rolled his eyes before looking again at Drixana. "Well, your miles from the rooms right now. Keep going this way and you'll end up in one of Vexen's labs. Come on, we'll take you to your room and I can give you a walking tour tomorrow."

"Er… okay then," Drixana replied.

Axel glanced at XIV. "You know, I can't imagine you'll just be going to sleep, will you?"

Drixana shrugged, "Well, under normal circumstances I suppose I wouldn't be but at the time I'm feeling rather ridiculously tired."

Axel nodded, spiky hair bouncing a little. A hint of a smile played at the corners of Drixana's mouth. The Flurry of Dancing Flames called up a portal and stepped through it. XIV noticed as she followed him that his cloak was completely dry.

Behind her, Demyx hummed some tune or another. Drixana yawned as she stepped into her room. Demyx and Axel were both glancing around it. "I remember when my room was this boring," Axel commented. For a moment, Drixana wondered if she would have been offended or defensive at that statement if she had a heart. She decided that it really wasn't worth pondering.

"Well, I'll just be going to sleep if you don't mind. Goodbye."

VIII and IX left the room, closing the door with a snap. Drixana pulled off her boots and rummaged around in a dresser until she found something to sleep in. Brain buzzing faintly from the day she had had, Drixana plopped down on her bed and fell asleep.


	5. Evening Activities

_Author's Note: Hey, haven't been writing in a while. School, and all that. Anywho, I hope that eventually I'll start getting into something that actually resembles a plot. I have an idea floating around in my head, but I'm not going to chase it yet in case it gets scared and disappears. Wow, I'm tired. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH. If I did, this wouldn't be a fanfic, now would it?_

**Drixana**

For a moment, Drixana was Adrian. It took her a moment to decide whether what she remembered had all been a dream. When she opened her eyes and saw the still-unfamiliar ceiling of her room in Castle Oblivion, she sighed. All that was going on was too strange to be even a dream.

XIV rolled out of bed and quickly changed into her official Organization gear. Her stomach gurgled faintly and she started towards the door. By the time she had closed it behind her, however, she remembered that she didn't have a clue where to go to get to the kitchen. She made to reenter her room when someone called out.

"Hey, Drixana!" It was Demyx. She remembered that he had offered to show her around.

She flashed him a quick smile. "Hey Demyx. I'd forgotten you said you'd show me around."

"Shorter attention span than mine, eh? That's not really something you see everyday."

Drixana gave a small laugh before saying, "Can we start with the kitchen? I'm kinda hungry."

Demyx nodded. "Alright then."

He led her down several hallways and doors and staircases until they reached the kitchen. Drixana made note of each turn and found herself able to remember without much trouble. When they reached the kitchen, Vexen and Zexion were seated at the table eating. Both looked up; Zexion gave a small nod and Vexen ignored them. Drixana glanced at Demyx who didn't seem to find the greeting all that unusual.

After eating, Demyx showed her around. Of course, the place was much too big for her to see everything in one day, still, it was nice to have a better idea of what was going on and know how to get where she needed to be. That evening, after dinner, Drixana stood and crossed the room, thinking she might take a shower or something before going to sleep. It was definitely very early to be doing so, but she could think of nothing else to do.

She was about half–way back to her room when a swirling portal of darkness opened in front of her. She jumped back, wondering what was going on. Her blue eyes narrowed as she waited to see who was coming. Green eyes were the first thing she noticed, and then the brilliant red hair. Axel stepped out of the portal, followed quickly by Demyx and then Roxas. The darkness faded away and the three Nobodies stood in front of her. She raised a fine black eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Roxas spoke. "We just can't imagine you'll be going to sleep already."

"Can't think of anything else to do." Drixana shrugged.

Axel smirked. "Well, then thinking's obviously not your strong point. No wonder you get along so well with Dem."

Demyx glared. Roxas laughed. A smile twitched at the edges of Drixana's mouth. "Well, what wonderful plans do you three have in store for me?"

Axel grinned rather mischievously. "Meet us in that common room that Demyx showed you with all the sofas and tables but no TV in ten minutes. I suggest you put some more clothes on."

With this, rather ominous, statement, he and the others turned and walked away. "Wait, what? What's going on?" she called after them. They ignored her.

Drixana sighed, but decided she might as well at least figure out what was going on. She reached into her pockets and pulled on her gloves before walking down the hallway that led to the room they had specified.

It took her a while to reach it, and she began wondering when she would learn to use portals. At last, she was in front of the door she needed. Cautiously, she reached out a gloved hand and placed it on the handle. She turned it, and found herself in the room that Axel had described. There were chairs and sofas all over the place, and several tables with chairs around them. At one of these tables sat Luxord. He was leaning back in the chair, his feet up on the table. His black coat lay draped over one of the couches and his gloves sat on top of them. His boots, too, sat on the ground next to his chair.

As Drixana closed the door, Luxord looked up at her. He motioned to the chair sitting across from him. She paused for a moment before walking across the room and dropping into the chair. She was about to ask what was going on when a portal opened near the doorway. Roxas stepped through it. It looked as though he was wearing two pairs of gloves and two scarves were draped over his neck.

By the time she had taken all this in, Demyx had appeared. He had a jacket on underneath his Org coat and he also wore two pairs of gloves. Axel entered the room a few seconds afterward, a baseball cap stuffed over his spiky red hair along with all his other Org gear.

Drixana watched as the three of them also took seats at the table and looked expectantly at Luxord. The man snapped and a deck of cards appeared in his hand. He pulled his feet off the table and the chair's front legs dropped onto the ground. He shuffled the deck a few times before handing it to Axel who shuffled once and began dealing.

Roxas turned to Drixana, who he was sitting next to, and said. "So, you know how to play poker?"

She nodded. "Kind of…"

"Well, this is a small variation on the game. I hope, for your sake, that you can play decently well, especially since it seems you haven't put on many more clothes."

Drixana raised an eyebrow. "This is all I have…" She pulled up her hand of cards and began surveying them. It was only when she started thinking of the best way to play the hand when it struck her. Strip poker. Well, she could always leave if things started to get ugly.


	6. Plotting Over Coffee

_Author's Note: I actually have an idea for a plot o.0 I think that means I'll bewriting more.I doubt you'll be able to figure it out by what I have in this chapter, but I'm starting to hint at it. Things might actually get interesting now._

_Disclaimer: I own KH. Jk.Seriously._

**Drixana**

At around three in the morning, Drixana turned off the lamp on her bedside table and closed her eyes. The night had been crazy, but fun. As Drixana slowly drifted off to sleep, she went through the night's events in her mind.

The game of strip poker had been getting dangerous when Xemnas showed up and demanded that they all go to sleep as all of them had important things to do the next day. Luxord had assured the Superior that they would head off to sleep but promptly dealt another hand as soon as he left. 

When Xemnas had come back two hours later, everyone immediately summoned portals and left, Demyx grabbing Drixana and pulling her through to his room. All lost clothes had been left in the common room, but they didn't dare go back and get them. 

Drixana had been about to go back to her room when Axel appeared, followed soon by Roxas and Luxord. Luxord had offered to start up the game again but no one seemed to want to loose any more clothes. The five of them sat around talking for hours until Drixana mentioned that she wanted her clothes back. 

They all participated in the daring rescue mission that ended up not being all that daring as no one was in the room when they returned. After that, Drixana had gone to her room and plopped down on her bed without changing her remaining clothes.

"I am amazed that you have the energy to get up and function properly after staying up that late. And you haven't slept properly for days at least. Weeks maybe." Xemnas watched one of VII's chakrum go flying accurately into a target again.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames summoned it back to his hand. "Years of practice." He let his weapons vanish in a puff of darkness. "So, what's all this about, anyway?" 

"Number VII, you are going to mentor Number XIV."

Axel raised his thin eyebrows. "Why?"

"She has fire." 

Axel shrugged mentally. This made sense enough. He certainly wouldn't have picked himself to be a mentor, but Superior should know what he was doing, right? He was Superior. Besides, XIV should be interesting enough to train. "When do I start?"

"Whenever you decide you're ready." 

Axel smirked. "Okay then." Drixana had been up at least as late as he had, and she probably wasn't so used to it. It should be… fun to wake her up. VIII summoned a portal and walked through it.

Xemnas watched him leave before summoning his own vortex of swirling darkness and stepping through. He emerged in the kitchen. It was empty. Xaldin was out on a mission and so the rest of the Organization had to fend for themselves as far as food went. They all got by, but Xemnas imagined that a long-term absence made by the Whirlwind Lancer would probably result in bad health for the rest of them, particularly the younger members. He himself was not all that culinarily adept.

Number I crossed the kitchen and went about making a pot of coffee. He had just poured a cup when he heard footsteps behind him. 

"Good morning, Superior," Zexion greeted him. The youngest of the original six seated himself on one of the benches by the table, facing Xemnas. 

Xemnas turned around to face him. "What do you think?"

Zexion raised his visible eyebrow. "Scent does not reveal thoughts. What do I think about what?"

"Drixana."

"They certainly seem to have bonded with her much more quickly than they did with Larxene," he replied.

Xemnas nodded. "I think we can take this as a good sign."

A small smile showed on Zexion's face. "So let's leave important decisions up to me now if it's a choice between Vexen and myself." 

"In matters such as these, perhaps." He tilted his mug to his lips and drank. 


	7. Weapons

_Author's Note: Hi. Remember me? That one person who pops up on here sometimes and posts random junk? Well, yeah. My style's a touch odd in this chapter and Axel is kinda OOC ish. Regardless, here be the newest installment. Oh, any ideas for a better title? You should give them to me. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH, as much as I like to pretend that I do._

**Drixana**

Drixana shifted, uncomfortable, in her sleep

Drixana shifted uncomfortable in her sleep. She subconsciously pushed the blankets covering her down. She was beginning to wake up. The only thought in her head was how damn hot it was. The second she came to full awareness, she leapt into the air, wide awake and looking around frantically, trying to figure out what had been making her bed burning hot.

Axel stood at the food of the bed, bent over, laughing. Drixana shouted, "What the hell was that for?"

The Flurry straightened, an air of innocence on his face. "What was what for?"

Drixana grabbed a pillow and threw it at the redhead. "You know perfectly well what."

Axel dodged easily, "Oh, that. Just an effective way of waking people up."

Drixana seemed to have calmed down a bit, but she still eyed Axel suspiciously. "Wait… what are you doing in my room? I should be entitled to some privacy, even if I don't really exist."

"I was waking you up, obviously," he replied.

"But why? What do I need to be awake this early for?"

"Training, of course."

Drixana gave him a confused look. "What?"

"I'm your mentor now, got it memorized?"

Number XIV gave this a moment to sink in. He was her mentor? Well, he seemed interesting enough. This could be fun. "Okay."

Axel held out his hand and summoned a portal, which he started to walk through. "Well, let's go."

Drixana followed and they emerged on the training field that Roxas had shown her upon her arrival. Drixana looked around. It seemed as though it had recently been used. She could smell a faint whiff of smoke and could swear that a corner of one target was smoldering. XIV shook herself and turned to look at Number VIII. He seemed to be thinking.

Suddenly, Axel spoke. "Close your eyes."

Drixana raised an eyebrow before doing as he had said.

"Now, reach deep inside yourself."

"What?"

Axel let out a short sigh. "You're making this difficult. Close your eyes again, and relax for a moment, okay? No questions. Just let everything go."

Apprehensive, Drixana did so. She closed her blue eyes and took deep breaths, trying to forget all that had happened to her recently. It had been quite a lot to cope with, and it felt good to let go of it. Finally, she reached a very calm state, and in that state, she felt something. It was vast and powerful. And dark. Very dark. She instinctively drew away and found herself returned to full awareness.

"What was that?"

A smile flicked over Axel's lips. It seemed part his normal smirk, but also a touch relieved. "Good, you found it. That, Drixana, is the source of our power."

"Our?"

"We. Those beings of darkness and us, the nobodies, who hover in twilight," he replied. There was an odd note in his voice, faint, but present.

"So, what do I do with it?" Drixana asked.

"Enter, and immerse yourself in that power. You'll find a weapon. Bring it with you when you return."

Number XIV nodded and closed her eyes. It was easier to find the darkness this time. She still shied away at its immensity, but something drew her forward like a hungry man towards food. This feeling washed away all her doubts and she went easily into the darkness.

It was cold, but not freezing. Her black Organization coat meant that it was no problem at all. She wondered if this was one of the reasons that these were worn.

"What am I doing again?" Drixana muttered to herself. "Weapon. Right."

She looked around, but all was swirling darkness. She took a few steps forward, but nothing seemed to change. Drixana was just considering going back and asking Axel about it when she felt something. A flickering, warm presence. She was drawn to it, and she walked towards it.

And it was all around her - strength such as she had never felt before coupled with the vaguest sense of self that had been lost to her since she had become a Nobody. Drixana felt something in her hands. It was as though the darkness were compacting and growing thicker. She felt something take shape in her hand. Number XIV clutched onto it and returned to The World That Never Was.

She opened her eyes and looked down to what she was holding in her hands. It was a bow. She also noticed that a quiver hung over her shoulders. She reached into it and pulled out an arrow. Its shaft was etched with the Nobody's symbol. Also strapped to the quiver were twin knives. 'Good,' she thought, 'a bow and arrows would be rather useless for close combat.'

Axel nodded. "Very good. Now, let's see how you use them."

Drixana nodded vaguely, still examining her new weapons. Hers. As she had felt in the darkness, there was the dimmest sense of identity within these. She clung to it. Realizing she had been staring for a long time, Drixana fitted the arrow she had to the string and aimed it at a target.

The arrow hit the target with a soft 'whump,' but it was on the very outer edge. Number XIV frowned. Axel shrugged, a small smirk playing about his lips. "Decent, for a first time. Ever used a bow before there, Drix?"

"Nope," she replied.

"Well," Axel said, "as I'm not exactly a skilled archer, there's not much I can tell you but practice. So I'll give that to you as homework. For now, drop your bow and arrows."

"Drop them?'

"Let them go. Send them back to the darkness. They'll be there when you need them next. Keep the knives though."

Drixana grabbed her knives and let go of the vague connection to her other weapon. It vanished in a swirl of black. She was reflection on the small loss she felt when a huge spike wheel went spinning by right over her head.

"I'm aiming for your neck, this time XIV. Dodge!"

Drixana dodged.


	8. Nightmares

_Author's Note: Wow, that's gotta be record time for a new chapter! I just felt like writing, I guess. You should tell me what you think of Xaldin in this chapter. It would make me happy. Like red balloons make me happy. (Inside joke that absolutely no one would get.)_

_Disclaimer: -insert fancy way to say "I don't own KH" here-_

**Drixana**

Drixana's blue eyes snapped open. Her breathing came hard and fast as she stared into the two o'clock darkness in her room. She closed her eyes tight and opened them again, trying to slow her breathing. Eventually, she succeeded. She was still badly shaken; it had seemed so real.

In her dream, she had been Adrian again. She had been walking along her old street in her old city. She had come to the spot where her house was, but it wasn't there. Instead was the vast darkness. She turned and tried to run but it had followed her and it had caught her. In there, she was completely alone. She didn't even have the other Nobodies of the Organization. Not even her own heart for company. She had been utterly alone.

But she was back in the World That Never Was.

"Hardly an improvement," she muttered to herself. She heaved a sigh.

She was too shaken up to fall asleep again. She hardly would have believed it before she had gone to bed that night. After training she had been so worn out that she had fallen asleep at 6:00 without even getting undressed.

She didn't want sleep anyways. It seemed to trick her brain into feeling regardless of the fact that her heart was gone. She was rather annoyed with herself that the emotion her mind chose was fear. XIV sighed, staring at the blank ceiling above her.

Then, promptly, she rolled out of bed and landed softly on her feet. Drixana rolled her shoulders and her neck- she was very tense- and started towards the door. She still felt a little shaky. Maybe a bit of walking would help. Maybe she should eat something. That seemed a good idea. She could really accomplish both, because the kitchen was a ways from her room.

Drixana opened and closed the door softly before starting towards the kitchen. The rhythmic sound of her footsteps was soothing, and Drixana could some of the tension fading from her. Not all of it, of course, but some. Her breathing became steadier as she walked.

Number XIV paused in the hallway leading to the kitchen. There was a light on inside. Cautiously, curiously, the young Nobody stepped into the room. Xaldin was leaning against a counter, drinking coffee. He looked up when Drixana entered the kitchen, his violet eyes surveying her over the top of his mug.

"What are you doing up this early, Number XIV? You're just asking for trouble."

Drixana, who had been rather wary of The Whirlwind Lancer since she had first seen him, took a step backwards, wondering if that was a threat. "What do you mean?"

The smallest of smiles touched the corners of Number III's lips. "Axel won't take any pity on you regardless of how much sleep you had. You should realize this by now."

Drixana relaxed a little. "I guess so…"

For a few moments, they stood in silence, Xaldin taking another drink of coffee. Drixana was considering turning around and waiting in her room for breakfast time to come when Xaldin spoke again. "Drixana, right?"

Number XIV nodded but did not reply.

"I wonder, Drixana, what you are doing up so early."

Drixana tried to think of a lie to tell him, but nothing came to mind. She muttered, barely audible, "Nightmare…"

Xaldin nodded before finishing his drink and setting the mug down on the counter with a soft click. "I remember those."

The young Nobody tilted her head a little inquiringly. "Really?"

The Lancer was walking around the counter to the sink where he began washing his mug along with various other dishes. "Everyone has them. They're part of this poor excuse for a life. They don't come as often after a while."

Drixana let this sink in before asking a question of her own. "What are you doing up this early, Number III… uh… sir?"

Xaldin laughed a little to himself. Sir? "I just returned from a mission."

"How did it go?"

"Well enough."

Drixana nodded, glanced at the coffee mug in the dish drainer and asked, "Why are you drinking caffeine this early in the morning? It seems like you'd want to sleep…"

"Soon, yes. Caffeine doesn't keep me up as it does most." Xaldin dropped a few forks into the dish drainer and wiped his hands on a towel before heading towards the hallway leading out of the kitchen. He stopped next to Number XIV and put a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Come on, you really should try to get some sleep."

Drixana, who had stiffened slightly at the contact, relaxed a little and nodded, resigned to the terrible world that she might well be casting herself into.

Xaldin flicked off the light in the kitchen on his way out. He paused to let Drixana catch up with him. "So, is Axel a tough mentor?"

Drixana gave a humorless laugh, "You've no idea."

"I imagine he takes after his own teacher."

"And who was that?"

"Xigbar."

"I can kind of see the connection."


	9. Oops

_Author's Note: My summer job has kept me away from writing for a while but I finally decided to go for it today. Anyways, I'm thinking I'm gonna but up another chapter today, but I wanted it to be separate from this one. We'll see if I finish. _

_Disclaimer: KH is not mine._

_Warnings: There's something really minor at the end of the chapter and I don't think it will really bother anyone but... yeah. _

**Drixana**

A flaming arrow when whizzing past Axel's spiky red hair. His eyes followed it for the smallest of moments, but it was enough distraction for Drixana to have sprung forward with a knife. Her bow still held out behind her in her left hand, she jabbed and sliced at her mentor with her right.

VIII dodged or blocked the attacks but not with the absurd effort he had originally. She was getting better. With a flick of one of the chakrum, he sent the knife flying out of Drixana's hand. He smiled as he saw the sure signs of victory. Drixana was ready, though. Her left hand swung up to catch the spike wheel Axel was raising, her bow now replaced by the first knife's twin.

Axel was a touch surprised, but not enough for it to really affect him. After all, Drixana only had one weapon left. She hadn't quite gotten down the ability to summon them while she was fighting. He was still going to beat her, like always, but she'd put up a good fight.

With a few more skilled blows, Axel had disarmed Drixana and brought one of the chakrum up to her throat. She glared, breathing heavily. Axel grinned and dropped his hands, stepping back and allowing his weapons to vanish in a swirl of darkness.

Drixana had been with the Organization for a bit over a week now and was progressing well in fighting. She was picking up a bit of magic too, but she still had a long way to go.

"That was pretty good, Number XIV. I think we'll leave it there for today."

Drixana nodded. She closed her eyes, concentrated and held out a hand in front of her to summon a portal. On her first try, it flickered and faded, but the second attempt brought a window of darkness through which she stepped. She emerged into the kitchen.

Still breathing heavily, she dropped down to take her seat. Training always left her very tired, but she imagined it would be worth it in the long run. From what she could tell, Axel was one of the best combatants in the Organization. Having him as a mentor was definitely a plus for fighting.

Xaldin set a glass of water down in front of Drixana. She gave a small nod of thanks before picking it up and gulping down the liquid. It felt good. After finished her water, Drixana slumped down on the table and waited for dinner to be served.

* * *

Drixana flung her fluffy green towel over the towel rack in her bathroom before beginning to dress for the night. She had pulled on her loose pants and was looking around for her oversized night shirt but couldn't find it. With a sigh, she realized that she must have left it in the main part of her room. She turned to her mirror and combed quickly through her wet black hair.

After setting the comb down on her counter she opened the bathroom door and walked out into her room. A sharp intake of breath made her look around quickly, instinctively wrapping her arms around her chest. Axel dropped his gaze to look down at the bed on which he was sitting. "Sorry…"

Drixana quickly fished her shirt out of her dresser and pulled it on, wrapping her arms around her chest again before turning back to Axel. "What are you doing in my room?"

Axel didn't look up. "I was just going to tell you that I'm gonna be on a mission tomorrow so you've got the day off," he mumbled.

"You could have waited outside my room."

"I realize that."

"Well, thanks for the information, anyway."

Number VIII jumped up. "Okay, well, see you when I get back then." He left the room without looking at her.

Drixana watched the door click shut and walked forward to lock it. She flicked off the light and returned to her bed, thinking. She wasn't as embarrassed as she probably would have been if she had still been capable of emotion and definitely not as angry, but Axel's reaction had confused her. She'd never seen her mentor act that way before. Well, she hadn't really known him that long. Maybe it was something about him that she just didn't know yet. Her mind was still considering when she closed her eyes.


	10. Luxord's Views and The Next Day

_Author's Note: Okay, so it took a touch longer than I originally said it would... Anyways, this is almost two chapters but I didn't feel that either was really long enough to post on it's own. I suppose the beginning could have been fixed on to the one before and the end could be part of the next chapter... But, that's not important. Enjoy! Please review_

_Disclaimer: Raivyn Not KH owner_

**Drixana**

Not Roxas, he was too young

Not Roxas, he was too young. Not Demyx, it was the wrong kind of relationship to talk about things like that. Xigbar? No, he would find some way to turn it against him. Hm… Luxord? It seemed the best choice.

Axel walked to the door with 'X' showing on its front and knocked. A voice called, "Come in."

Luxord was lounging, his feet up on his computer desk and his laptop in his lap. He turned to see who was there.

"Hey Luxord."

"Hey Axel."

Number VIII walked in and closed the door. He leaned against the wall with a sigh and stared across to the opposite wall, thinking.

Luxord, who could tell that Axel hadn't quite collected his thoughts yet, turned back to his computer and continued with what he was doing. After a few minutes Axel began speaking. Number X stopped typing but didn't turn to face the redhead.

"Xemnas told me I've got a mission tonight so I went to tell Number XIV that she had the day off tomorrow."

Luxord nodded. Hardly a reason to come and talk to him, but he knew there was more. He waited.

"I went to her room to tell her and when I got there she didn't answer the door so I went in. She was in the shower so I decided to wait for her to come out."

Luxord had an idea where this might be going.

"When she came out she didn't have a shirt on…"

Luxord raised his eyebrows. Axel didn't say anything else. Number X set his computer on the desk and swiveled around in his chair to face Number VIII. "Slightly interesting news, but hardly something to tell me about." He paused. "I guess there must be something else here."

Axel nodded, looking at the opposite wall. "I've seen topless girls before, of course, even since I became a Nobody, but it was odd like…" He paused. "For a second I thought I felt something. Like… like something that requires a heart… you know?"

Luxord nodded and shaped his answer for a moment before speaking. "I think that you're confusing love with lust. It surprised you because you weren't expecting it and in that moment your brain was confused. I'm not an expert on these things, but I can't imagine you'd want to talk to Vexen or Zexion. That's what I can come up with."

Number VIII gave a small sigh, his green eyes still somewhat distant. "Okay. Thanks Lux." He turned and left the room. Luxord turned back to his computer, scanned what he had been doing, and continued typing.

Axel walked down the hallways, trying to think. It had been so weird. For that one moment, it had felt so real. He shook his head a little, spiky red hair bouncing slightly, trying to clear his mind. He had a mission to go on, after all. He needed a clear head.

* * *

When Drixana first woke, it took her a minute to remember why she felt so odd. Then it hit her: Axel's odd reaction the night before. But nothing new had come to mind subconsciously during the night. She decided to leave it. She just didn't have enough background knowledge to figure this out. Maybe eventually she would just ask Axel. He wasn't going to be at Castle Oblivion today, though. Number XIV rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom where she began brushing her hair and otherwise getting ready for the day.

When Drixana stepped into the kitchen, it was to find it relatively empty. Whatever Axel was doing, everybody else seemed to be doing it too. Luxord, Demyx, Marluxia and Larxene were the only ones remaining.

Everyone looked up from what they were doing. Marluxia and Larxene gave brief nods before continuing their conversation. Demyx smiled warmly. Luxord raised a few fingers from the mug he was holding in a wave before taking another drink. Even once Drixana turned around, he continued to survey her over the rim of his mug.

The absence of Xaldin meant that there was no amazing hot breakfast, but he had left some easily-cooked breakfast items for the rest of the Organization. Drixana pulled out a couple of slices of bread and dropped them into the toaster. She leaned against the counter while she waited for her food to cook.

When the toast popped up, she plopped it onto a plate and walked over to the refrigerator to pull out a jar of jam. After fixing her toast and putting away everything she didn't need, Drixana walked over to the table and sat down next to Demyx. He finished the bite of Eggo waffle he had in his mouth before speaking. "Good morning, Drixana. How's, for lack of a better term, life in the World That Never Was?"

Drixana shrugged. "It's alright, I guess. A lot to get used to, really."

Number IX nodded. "Yeah. I remember my first few weeks… So you've got today off from training, right?"

Drixana looked rather relieved as she nodded, "Yeah. It'll be nice to relax a bit but I don't know what to do with myself."

"You could hang out with me if you wanted."

Drixana finished chewing a bite of toast before replying, "That sounds fun, I guess."

Demyx smiled. "Awesome. Do you like music?"


	11. Music

_Author's Note: Hey. Yeah, so it's been for friggin' ever since I updated, but... yeah. Hopefully soon I'll actually start developing the plot some now that I know where it's going... Anyways, please review; it always makes me really happy to get reviews^^_

_Disclaimer: Do I have to say it?_

**Drixana**

"Impressive," Drixana commented, looking around the room.

Demyx smiled. "Thanks." He dropped into the stool behind his drum set and picked up a pair of sticks. He beat out a few bars of complicated rhythms.

Drixana laughed. "I love music and I wish I could drum, but I just don't think I could. Too much coordination required."

The Melodious Nocturne shrugged, drumming lightly on the rim of the snare. "It takes practice, but so does everything else worth doing."

"And some things that aren't."

"Good point, that."

Drixana continued looking around the room. It was filled with all sorts of instruments. Along with the drum set there were several guitars, a trumpet, a beautiful grand piano, a cello, and many others in cases. Several shelves along one wall were dedicated to sheet music and books on music theory, others held CDs and there was even a large collection of old vinyl records. A CD player, a record player, and a computer all sat on a table across the room from the shelves.

It was quite the array. Drixana had liked music before she became a Nobody. She had played French horn in her school's band though not notably well. Demyx, though, was a music enthusiast.

Drixana walked over to the piano and sat down on the bench. She raised her hands to hover over the keys. She had taken lessons when she was much younger, but piano had never been her forte. She played a simple little melody.

Demyx rose from his spot behind the drum set and walked over to the piano. He sat down beside her on the bench. The closeness was odd. She hadn't been so physically near anyone in a while. She subconsciously shifted over slightly. If Demyx noticed, he didn't react.

"I love music," Demyx commented. "Well, as much as one without a heart can love. It's odd, though. When I play, sometimes I can almost feel. These vague emotions flit across the very edge of my being, but if I reach for them, they disappear. It's like a dream, knowing you'll wake up and if you try too hard to cling to it, it will vanish just as quickly. I have to just take in what I can…" He trailed off.

Drixana wasn't sure how to respond. She played a few random notes very softly on the piano. Demyx seemed lost in thought, his blue-green eyes unfocused. Suddenly he spoke again. "Most of us have something like that, you know. Something that makes us remember. Something- something that we can do so that somehow, for the briefest of moments, it's almost like we're normal again."

"Ah." Drixana was slightly confused. She thought she would have been rather uncomfortable when she had had feelings and now that idea almost created a flicker of unease in her.

Demyx moved so that his hands hovered over the piano's keys. For a moment, he was indecisive, then he began to play. It was a beautiful song. Drixana sat mesmerized and watched. She lost track of time. There was only the music, the rich beautiful music that hung in the air and danced through her, unlocking deep parts of her that she had thought were lost forever.

When the last note faded and was gone, Drixana felt that newly rediscovered part of her leave with it. She frowned, then turned to look at Demyx. He had an expression on his face that told her that he was experiencing similar ideas and almost-emotions.

"It's bittersweet, because for a moment, you can almost have your heart back, but it hurts a little more every time it leaves." He sighed, playing a few arpeggios. "You just have to decide whether it's worth it…"

Drixana considered this. It seemed a difficult decision to make. Oh, well. She was in no rush.


	12. Nobodies and Making Dinner

_Author's Note: Raivyn is writing again and you can expect her to do so continually through winter break. Anyway, I'm not sure this chapter really goes anywhere... I guess you can tell me that by commenting. Anyways, please enjoy^^ I might have something else up in the next couple of days 'cause I really want this to get somewhere. _

_Disclaimer: Why do I even put this here? (me=not owning KH)  
_

**Drixana**

"The hell's that?" Drixana exclaimed, taking several steps backwards. It moved in a very odd manner, dipping and weaving. Its long legs and arms twisted and bent in ways that just shouldn't have been possible. Lights danced along the edges of its odd white suit of sorts.

Demyx laughed. "It's a Nobody, Drix."

"I'm a Nobody. I don't look like that." She stopped moving away now and examined the creature.

"You don't?"

She raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to look at the Nobody.

Demyx still smiled as he spoke. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. There are many different types of Nobodies. You and I are some of the strongest. This one is a Dusk, one of the weakest. Still, they're smarter and stronger than the average Heartless."

"Are they all this weird-looking?" she inquired.

The Melodious Nocturne considered, looking at it. "I suppose. I wonder what kind of world you come from, though, to be so surprised by it."

"Well I…" She paused, and found that memories of her old home felt rather far away. It wasn't a pleasant realization. She shook her head. "Um… In my world… There definitely weren't any of these."

Sea green eyes showed a bit of concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not supposed to be anything other than that, am I?" she asked.

Demyx shrugged. "Technically. It's all kinda confusing."

By now, the Dusk had wandered off. They never seemed to linger in one place for very long unless they had something specific to do. Some of the other Nobodies would merely sit and do nothing but Dusks liked to walk. Drixana's eyes followed it for a moment before she turned forward again.

"So are there lots of Dusks in the castle?"

"You could say so. They keep to themselves mostly. Sometimes the others will follow you around if you don't do anything to stop them. They leave if you tell them to, though."

"Somehow, I'm not sure I'd enjoy their company all that much."

Demyx sighed, an odd expression flitting across his face. "It's better than nothing, sometimes." There was something under his voice.

Drixana looked at him. "Are you alright, Demyx?"

"What else am I supposed to be, with no heart?"

Number XIV shook her head. "Sometimes…" She wasn't sure how to put it into words. Sometimes, she could almost swear that a few feelings lingered. Unfortunately, they were usually negative feelings.

For a moment, the two Nobodies stood without talking. Then Drixana's stomach rumbled. Their eyes met for a second before they burst out laughing. "Let's go get something to eat."

Number XIV summoned up a portal and they stepped through into the kitchen. Demyx crossed to the freezer and began digging around, looking for a satisfactory frozen dinner.

"Actually," Drixana said thoughtfully, "I kinda feel like cooking something."

"You can cook?" Demyx asked. He looked down at the box of frozen beef ravioli he was on the verge of opening, then tossed it back into the freezer and closed the door. "I guess I'll just try some of whatever you make, if that's alright with you."

"Great, you can help some." Drixana opened the refrigerator and began examining its contents. "Hm… How does stir-fry sound?"

Demyx hovered over her shoulder. "Sounds great."

She began pulling out vegetables and handing them to him. "Here, go wash these."

Soon, Drixana was working on slicing up all the vegetables. Demyx had said immediately that he would probably hurt himself if he tried to use a knife. "I'm glad my weapon isn't really something you can hurt yourself with or I would have impaled myself on it a while back," he had commented.

So now he sat on the counter and chatted with Drixana as she worked. "You know," he said, "I can't say I've spent this much time with anyone for a really long time."

Drixana glanced up from her growing pile of sliced bell peppers. "Really?"

Demyx shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it's because everyone else is always doing something or has someone else they prefer hanging out with."

"Oh," Drixana said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well… I dunno. I guess that's just kinda how things are."

Drixana looked switched now to chopping carrots. "You seem like the kind of person who likes to be around people."

"Yeah," Demyx laughed a little. "That's certainly me." He paused gathering his thoughts. "I guess I am around people a lot. What I mean is that I haven't really just spent a day with one person in forever. Usually I hang out with different people or in groups or something. I used to hang out with Axel a lot but since Roxas joined…" He sighed.

XIV frowned. "That sucks."

"Yeah, well, it could be worse. I both love and loathe the fact that he's straight. Well, you know, as much as I can love or loathe anything."

Drixana laughed. "I'm sorry Demyx. That can't be any fun, liking someone you can never have."

"Well," Demyx said, "It's like I said, it could be worse. He and Roxas are just best friends so I don't feel quite as bad as I might have otherwise."

Drixana set her knife down and picked up the cutting board she had been using. She walked over to the stove and dumped all the vegetables into a pan. They sizzled and hissed as they hit the warm oil that she had been heating. "Well," she said as she stirred the vegetables around, "I'm not sure what to tell you, Demyx."

The Nocturne shrugged. "I don't think there's anything to tell me, Drixana."

For a while there was only the sound of cooking. Then, Drixana said, "Actually, I do have something to tell you."

Demyx looked curious. He was. "And what's that."

"Go look in the fridge and see if there's any leftover rice. If you find some throw it in the microwave."

Number IX laughed. "Okay, I'll do that."


	13. Confusion

_Author's Note: Look, another chapter! Already! Yay! This has been a rather useless author's note..._

_Disclaimer: ... Yeah. You know, don't you?_

**Drixana**

"Good work," Xemnas told the group at large. They took this as their dismissal. Axel called forth a portal and stepped through it, emerging in his room. It was dark. He crossed to the wall and flicked on wall light before turning back to his bed. He flopped onto it, landing face first in his black comforter. Spiky red hair stuck out behind his head.

He was still very confused.

He thought that the others may have noticed that he was a bit off, especially-

"Hey Axel."

"Hey Roxas." His voice was muffled by his bedspread. He felt the younger Nobody sit down on the corner of his bed.

"What's up?"

For a moment, Axel didn't answer. Roxas could tell that he was thinking, though, so he wasn't concerned. Finally, VIII rolled onto his back. He ran a gloved hand through his fiery hair as he spoke. "I'm just a little lost, I guess."

Roxas didn't quite find this a satisfactory answer. Axel could see it in his expression. A small smile made the corners of his thin lips twitch upward. "It's about Drixana."

"What about her?" The blonde boy tilted his head a little, curious.

Again, Axel paused as he formulated an answer. Roxas hadn't seen him this shaken up in a while. "I'm trying to figure out how I feel about her."

"Axel," Roxas said, with the air of someone who was pointing out the obvious, "you can't feel anything about her. None of us can feel anything about anyone."

"That's the thing though," Axel said, sitting up abruptly. For the first time his green eyes met Roxas's blue ones. "It's almost like I _can_ feel something. I don't get it."

Roxas blinked. "Oh. Um… I really don't know what to say, Axel."

Axel flopped back down onto his back and dropped an arm over his eyes. "That's alright, Roxas. I don't think there's anything anyone can say."

In the short time he had known Number XIV, he had come to like her as a friend. She was funny, smart, and fun as well as a fast learner and a decent fighter. She was a lot of the sort of things that he looked for in friends. There had been something else, too, but he had never quite been sure what it was. Never having been a big fan of not knowing what was going on, he had chosen subconsciously to ignore the fact and pushed it to the back of his mind. Until the other night. Maybe it had been the sudden undeniable reminder that she was in fact female. That had forced his brain make a sudden realization that he wasn't quite ready for. It was something he couldn't really handle without a heart, so he had immediately shut it down.

But it was still bothering him.

Why was it still affecting him when he didn't have a heart? Ah, well. He wasn't one who dealt with why, just what. He had a minor grasp on what was going on, now what was he going to do to deal with it? He had no idea. Nothing at all. He didn't like that, he was used to having a plan of action, something he could work at to accomplish his goals. Throwing oneself into the deep end with no real idea of where you're going or how to get there was a bad idea regardless. Without a heart to guide you…

A small, sardonic smile touched his mouth. "Well, it's not like I've got anything to lose. No heart to break, right?"

"Is that what you think this is about, Axel?" Roxas asked.

"Well," the Flurry replied, "it's my best guess so far."

Roxas, who had been staring at the opposite wall, glanced down again at his friend. He usually looked so much tougher than this. It was rather odd to see him with so much of his usual fire seeming to merely smolder. Instead of his usual smirk there was that sort of ironic self-mocking sneer. "So what are you gonna do?"

Axel laughed. "I have absolutely no idea."

"I'm s- sorry," Roxas yawned.

Axel shifted his arm so as to look at his young friend. There was a touch of the usual mischievous sparkle in his green eyes. "No you're not. You can't be, remember? Go to sleep, Roxas. You need it."

He didn't need telling twice. "Alright then, Axel. 'Night."

Before the Flurry could reply, XIII had stepped through a portal into his own room. Axel sighed. It took rather more effort than usual to get up, cross the room and turn out the lights. For some reason, he felt exceptionally tired. Even so, when he flopped onto his back after removing his cloak, gloves and boots, sleep would not come.


	14. Falling Apart

_Author's Note: Haha, bet you thought I'd died, didn't you? Here we are, though. And school's almost out so I might actually be writing some more soon. So, yeah. Enjoy. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own KH.  
_

**Drixana**

It didn't make any sense. How could you have an emotional breakdown when you had no emotions? Drixana paced back and forth in her room, running her fingers through her hair and shaking her head. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead there was just this restlessness.

She stopped, and stood in one spot, thinking. Tremors continually shook her body. "What is wrong with me? I need to do something." Speaking out loud helped her calm down a little, even if it was barely audible. "It's one in the morning XIV, what are you gonna do with yourself? Why don't you go for a walk outside? Yes, that sounds like a plan."

She held out a hand to summon a portal but she couldn't focus enough to gather the energy. She let out a low frustrated shout. "I'll walk. I can walk. Calm down, Drix. This is no problem. You can't upset, Drix, you don't have a heart to break. " But the tears were starting to fall. She wanted desperately to do something, anything, to get her mind off of things.

Drixana pulled open her door and walked quickly out. She froze mid-stride. There was someone sitting across the hall from her door. "Wha-?"

Axel had been sitting with his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands, his spiky red hair sticking out behind him. When the door opened, he looked up sharply. For a moment, he started to speak, looking almost nervous, but his expression changed as he noticed the tears in the other Nobody's eyes.

Drixana jumped back into her room and closed the door. She wasn't entirely sure why she ran from him. Upon a quick examination of herself she found that she really wanted company, but she also didn't want her mentor to see her like this.

For a moment, Axel stood motionless, unsure what to do. He wanted to help. He stepped forward and knocked gently on the door. "Drixana?"

There was no answer. Cautiously, the Flurry of Dancing Flames opened the door. He walked inside to find Number XIV sitting on the edge of her bed, her shoulders shaking slightly, her face hidden behind her hair. "Drixana, are you okay?"

She didn't reply. She still didn't know what was bothering her. She wasn't supposed to be upset. She couldn't. It wasn't supposed to happen. The bed shifted slightly as Axel sat down next to her. Drixana's brain was going a million places at once. She didn't know what she thought.

Slowly, still very cautious, Axel placed a hand on Drixana's trembling shoulders. At first, she pulled away from the contact, but after a few seconds, the shivering began to die down. Suddenly, she was pressed up against him, obviously looking for comfort. Axel was surprised, but at the same time sort of glad. Was it luck that he hadn't been able to sleep that night? Was it chance that he had been thinking of her? What had drawn him to sit outside of XIV's room? He wrapped his arms around the still rather upset Nobody and rested his chin on top of her head.

There, wrapped in Axel's warm embrace, everything suddenly seemed right. She felt as though nothing could reach her there. After a few moments, the tears stopped. After a few minutes, she was calm again. "I'm sorry, Axel."

He let his arms fall back to his sides so that she could move but she stayed there next to him, leaning against him. "For what?"

Her voice was slightly muffled by his shoulder as she turned her head. "Being so weak. I'm not supposed to fall apart like that. I don't have a heart, remember?"

"Drixana, you shouldn't be sorry about that. It's not your fault." He hoped he was helping. For some reason he really wanted to help her right now.

For a few moments. She didn't reply. She didn't want to argue with him, not when he was trying to help. Finally, Drixana said, "Thank you."

"Not a problem," Axel said casually.

Drixana slowly pulled away from him. "Hey, Axel, will you stay with me a bit longer? I don't wanna be alone just yet."

For some reason, Axel liked this idea. He tried not to show it. He didn't want to worry her or anything. "Sure."

"I don't really know what I want to do, though."

He didn't reply; he was looking into her blue eyes. They were much calmer than when he had first seen her that night. She looked back, and saw something in his green ones that she didn't quite understand. "Axel, why were you sitting outside my room?" she asked softly.

She didn't seem worried about it, just curious. For a moment, he hesitated. He didn't want to scare her away, not now when he was this close. "I- I'm not sure, Drix. You see I think… Maybe…"

And then he kissed her.


End file.
